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11/23/2013 We’ve set up camp in a place that I had mixed feelings about before ever arriving. We are at a place called Lone Rock Campground along the shores of the extreme southern end of Lake Powell. I say mixed feelings because all I have to go on are the reviews. Those review say two things; 1) it’s a beautiful place and 2) it a well-known place for partiers on the weekends. There are no reservations and no marked off campsites. You pay your money, drive in and stake your claim wherever you can on the beach…..Oh yeah and EVERYONE says to be careful and not get stuck in the sand because it can get ugly if you do.
11/23/2013 We’ve set up camp in a place that I had mixed feelings about before ever arriving. We are at a place called Lone Rock Campground along the shores of the extreme southern end of Lake Powell. I say mixed feelings because all I have to go on are the reviews. Those review say two things; 1) it’s a beautiful place and 2) it a well-known place for partiers on the weekends. There are no reservations and no marked off campsites. You pay your money, drive in and stake your claim wherever you can on the beach…..Oh yeah and EVERYONE says to be careful and not get stuck in the sand because it can get ugly if you do.
Did I mention that I LOOOOVE the off-season?! There are very few people around and certainly nobody partying! It was a GREAT experience in a GREAT place!
Did I mention that I LOOOOVE the off-season?! There are very few people around and certainly nobody partying! It was a GREAT experience in a GREAT place!
We parked behind this crazy MAN (a division of the VW/Audi Group) expedition truck that was wearing German license plates. It was really, REALLY cool! It’s lacking the beds needed for a family of 5, but in the opinion of this author, it represents the perfect rig for exploring anything and anywhere.
We parked behind this crazy MAN (a division of the VW/Audi Group) expedition truck that was wearing German license plates. It was really, REALLY cool! It’s lacking the beds needed for a family of 5, but in the opinion of this author, it represents the perfect rig for exploring anything and anywhere.
11/23/2019 Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center. Grant driving a boat with no hands is a real nail biter!
11/23/2019 Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center. Grant driving a boat with no hands is a real nail biter!
I assume the military has spent billions of dollars on the development and perfection of being able to detect aircraft, yet with absolutely no training what-so-ever, this kid can smell helicopters like a hungry bear can smell a wrapped twinkie inside your closed and locked car. It’s just crazy!
I assume the military has spent billions of dollars on the development and perfection of being able to detect aircraft, yet with absolutely no training what-so-ever, this kid can smell helicopters like a hungry bear can smell a wrapped twinkie inside your closed and locked car. It’s just crazy!
Turn the crank on this scale model and you are shown how a hyrdo-electric dam works
Turn the crank on this scale model and you are shown how a hyrdo-electric dam works
11/23/2019 Antelope Canyon. Most everyone has heard of it. Even if you’ve never heard of it, you’ve most likely seen pictures of it. The pictures that come from this place are almost legendary. In fact, they say that the most expensive picture that has ever exchanged hands was taken here. Although, some Googling on the subject makes it sound like that might be a hotly contested statement. Whatever the case, we are here at the wrong time of the year and at the wrong time of the day for those “magical” pictures that everyone sees, but who cares?! It is visually stunning none-the-less. As usual, my iPhone can’t do it justice. Honestly, I’m not sure ANY camera could do this place justice.
11/23/2019 Antelope Canyon. Most everyone has heard of it. Even if you’ve never heard of it, you’ve most likely seen pictures of it. The pictures that come from this place are almost legendary. In fact, they say that the most expensive picture that has ever exchanged hands was taken here. Although, some Googling on the subject makes it sound like that might be a hotly contested statement. Whatever the case, we are here at the wrong time of the year and at the wrong time of the day for those “magical” pictures that everyone sees, but who cares?! It is visually stunning none-the-less. As usual, my iPhone can’t do it justice. Honestly, I’m not sure ANY camera could do this place justice.
See the heart?
See the heart?
Ocean waves!
Ocean waves!
Our favorite of the day…..see the Dragon?
Our favorite of the day…..see the Dragon?
Later that night, I found this video on YouTube on how it was formed over the years and we all thought it was REALLY neat to see this tour guide explain it with a little scale model like this. (Disclaimer: this is not my video. I simply found it on YouTube and thought it was a well done, short and to the point, explanation of how this canyon came to be.)
Later that night, I found this video on YouTube on how it was formed over the years and we all thought it was REALLY neat to see this tour guide explain it with a little scale model like this. (Disclaimer: this is not my video. I simply found it on YouTube and thought it was a well done, short and to the point, explanation of how this canyon came to be.)
11/24/2019 Glen Canyon Dam Tour. We are back at Glen Canyon Dam for our scheduled dam tour. If you are ever in the area, you should do this! Even if you could care less about how a hydro-electric plant works, just the views are worth it. Luckily for me, I’m into the views _and_ the inner workings of a big machine like this, so this is a pretty good deal for me.
11/24/2019 Glen Canyon Dam Tour. We are back at Glen Canyon Dam for our scheduled dam tour. If you are ever in the area, you should do this! Even if you could care less about how a hydro-electric plant works, just the views are worth it. Luckily for me, I’m into the views _and_ the inner workings of a big machine like this, so this is a pretty good deal for me.
Here you get to see where the upper Colorado River Basin ends (Lake Powell)…..
Here you get to see where the upper Colorado River Basin ends (Lake Powell)…..
…..and where the Lower Colorado River Basin starts….
…..and where the Lower Colorado River Basin starts….
In 2015 they wrapped up a modernization of the turbines to increase efficiency. 7 of the 8 were sold for scrap value, but the 8th one is on display on the deck for tour groups to view. It is 16 feet in diameter, weighs in at 43 tons and is comprised of approximately 80% Stainless Steel! That is A LOT of Stainless Steel! Just for giggles, I googled the scrap value of Stainless Steel and as of 9/27/2019 it was $0.22/lb. If this turbine is indeed 43 tons and is comprised of 80% Stainless, that is 68,800 pounds of stainless steel. 68,800 multiplied by $0.22 is $15,136. Multiple that by 7 turbines that were scrapped and that is $105,952…..like I said, just for giggles.
In 2015 they wrapped up a modernization of the turbines to increase efficiency. 7 of the 8 were sold for scrap value, but the 8th one is on display on the deck for tour groups to view. It is 16 feet in diameter, weighs in at 43 tons and is comprised of approximately 80% Stainless Steel! That is A LOT of Stainless Steel! Just for giggles, I googled the scrap value of Stainless Steel and as of 9/27/2019 it was $0.22/lb. If this turbine is indeed 43 tons and is comprised of 80% Stainless, that is 68,800 pounds of stainless steel. 68,800 multiplied by $0.22 is $15,136. Multiple that by 7 turbines that were scrapped and that is $105,952…..like I said, just for giggles.
This is one of the actual buckets that was used to pour the concrete for the dam. It holds 24 ton of concrete! That’s about the same amount of concrete that is carried in a modern day cement mixer truck. They had 13 of these buckets that moved concrete from the on-site concrete plant to dam site itself. In total, 400,000 buckets of concrete were poured. It took 3 years just to pour the concrete (6/17/1960 to 9/13/1963)!
This is one of the actual buckets that was used to pour the concrete for the dam. It holds 24 ton of concrete! That’s about the same amount of concrete that is carried in a modern day cement mixer truck. They had 13 of these buckets that moved concrete from the on-site concrete plant to dam site itself. In total, 400,000 buckets of concrete were poured. It took 3 years just to pour the concrete (6/17/1960 to 9/13/1963)!
11/24/2019 Horseshoe Bend. I’m going to get a little “soap box-y” here for a moment. Make no mistake, this is a beautiful natural wonder, but this geologic phenomenon is not unique. It’s certainly rare and certainly amazing, but unique it is not. So, what is it about this place that makes it as popular as it is? Here we are on a random Tuesday, in what could easily be called the “off season”, and the parking lot is full and there are people everywhere. Tour buses come and go from the parking lot. The 0.5 mile trail leading out to the view point is bustling in both directions. It seems so odd to me that this area of the country is bursting at the seams with beauty and natural wonder, but this place seems busier than most.
11/24/2019 Horseshoe Bend. I’m going to get a little “soap box-y” here for a moment. Make no mistake, this is a beautiful natural wonder, but this geologic phenomenon is not unique. It’s certainly rare and certainly amazing, but unique it is not. So, what is it about this place that makes it as popular as it is? Here we are on a random Tuesday, in what could easily be called the “off season”, and the parking lot is full and there are people everywhere. Tour buses come and go from the parking lot. The 0.5 mile trail leading out to the view point is bustling in both directions. It seems so odd to me that this area of the country is bursting at the seams with beauty and natural wonder, but this place seems busier than most.
Well, whatever the case, we joined the masses and went for a short walk to see what all the fuss is about. Funny thing for me was that once you got away from the main viewing point, you could REALLY get some good views and pictures, yet most didn’t take the few extra steps.
Well, whatever the case, we joined the masses and went for a short walk to see what all the fuss is about. Funny thing for me was that once you got away from the main viewing point, you could REALLY get some good views and pictures, yet most didn’t take the few extra steps.
Grant is exuberantly waving ‘Hi’ to me but if he knew how close he was to the edge…..oooooph, he would not have been happy with me.
Grant is exuberantly waving ‘Hi’ to me but if he knew how close he was to the edge…..oooooph, he would not have been happy with me.
11/25/2019 It’s moving day again and this powerful orange sunset is like Lake Powell giving us one last gift before leaving!
11/25/2019 It’s moving day again and this powerful orange sunset is like Lake Powell giving us one last gift before leaving!
11/26/2019 Grand Canyon. What is there to say about this place that hasn’t been said? It’s obviously a wonderous place and full of natural beauty on a scale that simply can’t be duplicated elsewhere. The problem? In the land of places that are designated “National Park”, this place is the second busiest in the country. Only bested by the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, this place saw 6.38 million visitors in 2018…..and we are here during Thanksgiving Break! Whoooops! The end result, VERY few pictures because every place you COULD take pictures was full of people and I simply won’t wait in a line to take my own pictures. That doesn’t happen in my world. I might sound little grumpy and that’s mainly due to the fact that we haven’t had to contend with crowds like this to date. We’ve deliberately planned it that way and when things do get a little crowded, I get a little grumpy. Honestly though, we made the best of it and did enjoy our time there.
11/26/2019 Grand Canyon. What is there to say about this place that hasn’t been said? It’s obviously a wonderous place and full of natural beauty on a scale that simply can’t be duplicated elsewhere. The problem? In the land of places that are designated “National Park”, this place is the second busiest in the country. Only bested by the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, this place saw 6.38 million visitors in 2018…..and we are here during Thanksgiving Break! Whoooops! The end result, VERY few pictures because every place you COULD take pictures was full of people and I simply won’t wait in a line to take my own pictures. That doesn’t happen in my world. I might sound little grumpy and that’s mainly due to the fact that we haven’t had to contend with crowds like this to date. We’ve deliberately planned it that way and when things do get a little crowded, I get a little grumpy. Honestly though, we made the best of it and did enjoy our time there.
Grand Canyon, we WILL back to see you again, I promise!
Grand Canyon, we WILL back to see you again, I promise!
11/27/2018 Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument(s). The Grand Canyon really rules the roost in this part of the world, so you might be surprised to learn that there are 3 more National Parks just outside Flagstaff. They are very easy to reach and remarkable places in their own right.
11/27/2018 Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument(s). The Grand Canyon really rules the roost in this part of the world, so you might be surprised to learn that there are 3 more National Parks just outside Flagstaff. They are very easy to reach and remarkable places in their own right.
First up, Sunset Crater. In a region that is dominated by plateaus and canyons, it seems odd to encounter volcanoes and lava fields. Here they are though and it’s a blustery cold day to see it all, but it’s a very nice and very well-maintained park.
First up, Sunset Crater. In a region that is dominated by plateaus and canyons, it seems odd to encounter volcanoes and lava fields. Here they are though and it’s a blustery cold day to see it all, but it’s a very nice and very well-maintained park.
They are predicting significant snowfall for Thanksgiving.…and you can see the pending storm in the background.
They are predicting significant snowfall for Thanksgiving.…and you can see the pending storm in the background.
Grace felt as though Bear needed to keep his ears warm too!
Grace felt as though Bear needed to keep his ears warm too!
You follow the road all the way through Sunset Crater and it lands you right in the parking lot of Wupatki National Monument. This is an ancient Hopi pueblo originally believed to have been built around 500 AD.
You follow the road all the way through Sunset Crater and it lands you right in the parking lot of Wupatki National Monument. This is an ancient Hopi pueblo originally believed to have been built around 500 AD.
The highlight of the visit to this location? The “Blow Hole”. Here’s the simplest definition I found from the National Park Service:
The highlight of the visit to this location? The “Blow Hole”. Here’s the simplest definition I found from the National Park Service:
“A blowhole is a small opening in the ground through which air will blow out or suck in—a kind of natural fan or vacuum”
“A blowhole is a small opening in the ground through which air will blow out or suck in—a kind of natural fan or vacuum”
And
And
“Research on blowholes in northern Arizona indicates that the openings connect with an extensive underground fracture system. Fractures open to the surface are locally known as "earth cracks," which are sometimes hundreds of feet deep.”
“Research on blowholes in northern Arizona indicates that the openings connect with an extensive underground fracture system. Fractures open to the surface are locally known as "earth cracks," which are sometimes hundreds of feet deep.”
Given that we are in the cusp of a significant winter storm, the air pressure is on the low side and THAT means that the the hole is in a state of blowing and I mean B_L_O_W_I_N_G!
Given that we are in the cusp of a significant winter storm, the air pressure is on the low side and THAT means that the the hole is in a state of blowing and I mean B_L_O_W_I_N_G!
If you really find yourself wanting to know more about these crazy holes in the Earth, this is a good read:
If you really find yourself wanting to know more about these crazy holes in the Earth, this is a good read:
….and the storm is getting CLOSER. There are 12,000ft peaks in there.........somewhere!
….and the storm is getting CLOSER. There are 12,000ft peaks in there.........somewhere!
11/28/2019 Meteor Crater. You know this place or heard of this place, I am sure of it! We have made the decision to abandon ship on the Flagstaff area as we do not want to get trapped in the snow that is coming. It had always been our plan to leave and head this direction, we’re just doing it an unplanned day early….and it happens to be on Thanksgiving Day. To our surprise, the Meteor Crater is open on Thanksgiving Day AND they have RV parking! It’s like they knew we were coming!
11/28/2019 Meteor Crater. You know this place or heard of this place, I am sure of it! We have made the decision to abandon ship on the Flagstaff area as we do not want to get trapped in the snow that is coming. It had always been our plan to leave and head this direction, we’re just doing it an unplanned day early….and it happens to be on Thanksgiving Day. To our surprise, the Meteor Crater is open on Thanksgiving Day AND they have RV parking! It’s like they knew we were coming!
Now, it was a windy day for sure. The wind was blowing us all over I-40 for hours! …..but it’s seemed like it was accelerated here. It was shockingly windy! ….like forget your hat, just try to keep yourself upright, windy! If I am being honest, we all thought it was pretty fun.
Now, it was a windy day for sure. The wind was blowing us all over I-40 for hours! …..but it’s seemed like it was accelerated here. It was shockingly windy! ….like forget your hat, just try to keep yourself upright, windy! If I am being honest, we all thought it was pretty fun.
11/30/2019 Petrified Forest National Park. Winner Winner, Chicken dinner! Oh boy did I LOVE this place! It’s really like two parks in one. We entered from the North which starts you off in in the painted desert. It had snowed 2 nights prior (actually closing the park for a day) and the untouched snow was a magnificent addition to the canvas.
11/30/2019 Petrified Forest National Park. Winner Winner, Chicken dinner! Oh boy did I LOVE this place! It’s really like two parks in one. We entered from the North which starts you off in in the painted desert. It had snowed 2 nights prior (actually closing the park for a day) and the untouched snow was a magnificent addition to the canvas.
Along the way, you stumble across this car that they have permanently mounted to show the historic location where Route 66 passed through the park.
Along the way, you stumble across this car that they have permanently mounted to show the historic location where Route 66 passed through the park.
What a remarkable landscape and geological wonder. In my head, I know science has explained the petrified wood, but I still am in awe of how wood can turn to stone and then bring so much beauty to our planet's surface.
What a remarkable landscape and geological wonder. In my head, I know science has explained the petrified wood, but I still am in awe of how wood can turn to stone and then bring so much beauty to our planet's surface.
I took a BUNCH of pictures here. Eventually, they just gave up on me and kept walking.
I took a BUNCH of pictures here. Eventually, they just gave up on me and kept walking.
Look at that landscape. The petrified wood is simply everywhere.
Look at that landscape. The petrified wood is simply everywhere.
You MUST visit this place. This playground of geological time and pressure only sees a scant 10% of the visitors that the Grand Canyon does, but it’s every bit as amazing…..different, but just as amazing.
You MUST visit this place. This playground of geological time and pressure only sees a scant 10% of the visitors that the Grand Canyon does, but it’s every bit as amazing…..different, but just as amazing.
12/01/2019 Walnut Canyon National Monument. Remember when I told you that there were _3_ additional National Parks in and around the area of Flagstaff? ……but then provided you with pictures of only 2? Well, this is the third one. It’s the site of another ancient Indian pueblo but they are built into the cliff walls much like the infamous Mesa Verde in Colorado. The recent snowfall has pretty much shut down their trail system, but it was a nice visit anyway. The view from the visitor center with the snow was VERY nice.
12/01/2019 Walnut Canyon National Monument. Remember when I told you that there were _3_ additional National Parks in and around the area of Flagstaff? ……but then provided you with pictures of only 2? Well, this is the third one. It’s the site of another ancient Indian pueblo but they are built into the cliff walls much like the infamous Mesa Verde in Colorado. The recent snowfall has pretty much shut down their trail system, but it was a nice visit anyway. The view from the visitor center with the snow was VERY nice.
Sharing is caring!
Sharing is caring!
Bear REALLY likes the snow! Back in Colorado he loves to go outside and roll around and romp in the snow. So, today was a special day for Bear.
Bear REALLY likes the snow! Back in Colorado he loves to go outside and roll around and romp in the snow. So, today was a special day for Bear.
So special in fact, he forgot to put his tongue back in his mouth.
So special in fact, he forgot to put his tongue back in his mouth.
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